The Things You Never Know
︎︎︎ MD Wheatley
︎ May 3, 2025
Noah came up to me on the playground
with something to say. The boy rarely
spoke so I was all ears. This was 2
weeks before he rode a tricycle into
a brick wall at recess. Maybe he
didn’t see it, I don’t know. I know
he can’t see very well but who’s
to say what his world looks like.
And of all places, when he collided
with the wall, it scraped that pointy
ridge of his brow bone. His blood
dripped all over the sidewalk. It
could have been much worse,
could’ve split open, but thankfully
he wore his glasses that day. Now
here we were, eye not yet bandaged,
no glasses on, level with my navel
and Noah said, “Naomi in hospital.”
“Who’s that?” I said. “Naomi my
wife. She in hospital cus she in bad
wreck,” he said. “Oh no,” I said, “I hope
she’s going to be okay.” He lifted his
shoulders, dropped them, let out a big
sigh. Then he said, “She fine but guess
what?” “What?” I said. “Naomi cheat
on me with my brother.” “Oh man,”
I said, “That’s rough. I didn’t know
you had a brother.” Noah stopped there
to look up at me with his big ass smile.
I wanted more but that’s all he had so
I said, “Don’t let em see you coming bubba.”
with something to say. The boy rarely
spoke so I was all ears. This was 2
weeks before he rode a tricycle into
a brick wall at recess. Maybe he
didn’t see it, I don’t know. I know
he can’t see very well but who’s
to say what his world looks like.
And of all places, when he collided
with the wall, it scraped that pointy
ridge of his brow bone. His blood
dripped all over the sidewalk. It
could have been much worse,
could’ve split open, but thankfully
he wore his glasses that day. Now
here we were, eye not yet bandaged,
no glasses on, level with my navel
and Noah said, “Naomi in hospital.”
“Who’s that?” I said. “Naomi my
wife. She in hospital cus she in bad
wreck,” he said. “Oh no,” I said, “I hope
she’s going to be okay.” He lifted his
shoulders, dropped them, let out a big
sigh. Then he said, “She fine but guess
what?” “What?” I said. “Naomi cheat
on me with my brother.” “Oh man,”
I said, “That’s rough. I didn’t know
you had a brother.” Noah stopped there
to look up at me with his big ass smile.
I wanted more but that’s all he had so
I said, “Don’t let em see you coming bubba.”